Film editing and splicing apparatus



Dec. 3, 1935, A. R. GUTH 2,022,934

FILM EDITING AND SPLIGING APPARATUS Filed March 28, 1934 BY- a ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILM EDITING AND SPLICIN G APPARATUS Application March 28,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in film editing and splicing apparatus.

In editing motion picture films it is customary and necessary to cut out a portion of the film, such as a mutilated part thereof, and then to splice the severed ends or to divide a film into parts and to insert such other films at a division line in the main film. In all such cases a cutting of the lm and a splicing of the ends is necessary.

The pictures on motion picture films at the present time are divided into frames, each of which has a length equal to four sprocket holes or perforations, and it is one of the objects of this invention to provide a simple apparatus which may be-employed to cut out mutilated sections and in such cutting to automatically trim the same so as to provide within the length of a. frame for an overlapping and splicing of the ends.

It ls also one of the objects of this invention to provide in a film splicing apparatus a combined splicing and shearing block having double side shearing edges spaced apart to provide a top splicing surface having two pairs of guide pins spaced to skip one pair of film perforations and to engage two pairs on opposite sides of said skipped pair, said double shearing edges cooperating with a pair of shearing knives adapted to cut between the engaged holes and adjacent holes on opposite sides thereof so as to enable a mutilated portion to be cut out by cuts at predetermined places which will trim the opposite edges of the severed film at the proper place to provide within the length of a frame for a splicing overlap, and which will enable the subsequent perforation engagement, clamping and preparation of the severed ends in scraping off the emulsion and splicing, and will also provide for a predetermined joint or overlapped portion and for the clamping by the same clamp element of the cemented ends. It will be understood that substantially all mutilations comprise creases, cuts or breaks which extend transversely of the film and can be encompassed in an area comprising three-fourths of a frame and in all such cases which as aforesaid constitute substantially all such mutilations the entire mutilated portion may be cut out of the lm by a single simultaneous operation of two knives located to cooperate with opposite side edges of the cutting block.

Another object of my invention is to provide on a cutting block between knives cooperating with the spaced edges of the block a plurality of spaced pairs of perforation-engaging guide pins adapted 1934. Serial No. 717,873

to engage pairs of sprocket perforations inthe edges of the film to enable severing and also to provide for a splicing surface between such pairs of guide pins and to enable the guiding on said block into splicing position of the ends of a film 5 to be spliced.

Another object of my invention is to provide a single shiftable clamping member adapted to clamp the film ends in position and to provide a straight edge which will enable a preparation or 10 scraping of emulsion and application of cement 4to a part of the film from the upper side thereof, and also the application of suicient pressure to the joint to cause secure fastening oi.' the ends together. i5

Another object of my invention is to provide a single clamping member having two pairs of sockets adapted to clamp over a single pair of pins in two positions and to function in one position as a guide for scraping the emulsion from 20 one end of a splice and in a second position to clamp and apply the needed pressure to the joined ends when the same have been overlapped on the shearing and splicing block.

Still another object of my invention is to pro- 25 vide a construction of shearing and splicing block having knives cooperating with opposite side edges thereof and adapted after cutting to extend below the upper surface of said block so as to free said upper surface for facile accom- 30 plishment of the preparing and splicing operations.

Still another object of my invention is to support on the top surface of said block a horizontally movable pivoted clamping lever having the 35 combined functions of a guide lever for the scraping tool and a clamping element for retaining the overlapped and cemented ends in contact during the formation of the joint.

Still another object of my invention is to sup- 40 port an editing element comprising a mirror having a magnifying concave reflecting surface beneath the splicing block in such position that the movement over the splicing block of a film will enable a magnified image of the pictures on the film to be magnified and seen or viewed in the mirror. The magnifying mirror also facilitates the placing or positioning on the block of the film portion to be cut out and spliced.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to coact and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one.of its adaptations, the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawing. in Which:-

Fig. 1 is a view in plan of a splicing machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation partly broken away, of the machine shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a section substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig` 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a view in plan of the splicing blocki showing a film end mounted thereon. in position for scraping. the clamping and guiding lever being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 7 is a section through the chopping block only substantially on the line l-l of Fig. 6 and showing the clamping lever in guiding position;

8 is an isometric view of the clamping lever showing the position of the pin engaging holes thereon;l

Fig..9lis a view of a. piece of film showing an imperfection therein. and the line of cut therethrough by my machine;

Fig. 1G shows the ends of the film to be spliced after cutting out the mutilated section illustrated in Fig. 9;'

Fig. 11 is a view in plan of the film ends after joining.

Referring now to the drawing. which illustrates a. preferred embodiment of my invention, i indicates a base member of the apparatus which in the embodiment shown comprises a casting having viewing openings l. Ib for a horizontally disposed magnifying mirror 2 having a concave refiecting surface. TheseA openings are of substantially semi-circular configuration and are separated by a diametn'c rail 3 over the mirror 2, on which rail I preferably mount a splicing block which in the preferred embodiment of my invention comprises an oblong steel block 4 having straight shearing edges parallel to each other at opposite sides. These shearing edges are spaced apart a distance preferably comprising threefourths of the length of a film frame and are adapted to cooperate with the lower edges of knife members 5 pivotally mounted to swing vertically and to provide a shearing contact between said edges of the knife members and said parallel straight edges. Thus. when the knives are raised into the uppermost position and a mutilated film section such as shown in Fig. 9 is properly positioned on the splicing block a single movement simultaneously of the pair of knives will eut out of the film said'mutilated section. Such proper positioning, however. will include a keying of the film perforations or sprocket holes with two pairs of guide pins E, B' projecting from the upper surface of said block as hereinafter described. Because of the width of the block each movement of the two knives will cut away a section equal to three quarters of a frame and will leave or provide in the frame a section adapted to provide an overlap for the joint to be made between the opposite ends to be spliced.

The knives 5 are, in the embodiment shown pivoted on a horizontal pivot supported in the block at one end thereof and said knives are adapted in their shearing vertical movement to extend completely below the upper surface of the block so as to free said upper surface for further manipulation of the films in the operation of splicing.

The next step comprises the positioning of one end of the film with the emulsion side up on one side of the splice block. The splice block is as aforesaid provided with two pairs of guide pins,

6, 6' adapted to engage the perforations or holes 5 in the said film, and the end of the film is keyed to one pair of guide pins. Also mounted so as to contact with the upper surface of said block and preferably pivoted to swing horizontally on a vertical pivot supported in said block is a combined guiding and clamping lever l. This clamping lever is normally swung to one side away from the top of the block. When the film end to be spliced'is thussupported at the left hand side of the film splicing block and keyed to the pair of guide pins 6' the clamping lever l is swung over the block to hold down said end as shown in Fig. 6. This lever l is provided in its bottom surface with two pairs of sockets 8, 8' adapted to cooperate and engage in one position with the pair of pins 6 to which the said lm end has been keyed. The lever l is of suchwidth that when it is keyed with the pins 6', it will form a straight edge a short distance from the end of the film' to enable scraping oi of the emulsion 25 by a suitable instrument. A strip at the end of the film is then wetted with-water and'scraped to remove the emulsion. Thereafter, the scraped strip extending to the outer side of said straight edge is provided with ceme'nt. The end-fof the 30 other film section isthen keyed to the pair of guide pins 6 and when so keyed will have an end strip extending over the opposite cement surfaced strip. and this extension is pressed down' into overlapping engagement with said cement sur- 35 faced portion to form an overlapping joint. When these film ends are thus overlapped the lever l is raised to remove its pair of sockets 8 from the guide pins 6' and swung over so as to cause the additional set of sockets 8' which are 0 arranged in inclined relationship to each other to be engaged with the said pins 6'. In this position, the lever l will overlap the joint between the overlapped ends and provide sufiiclent pressure thereon to enable a proper cemented Joint 5 to be produced.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I provide at one side of the block a guide element 9 for the clamping element. This guiding element 9 is provided with a rounded top surface 50 and is adapted to' guide the clamp lever into initial engagement with the guide pins 6, and its side edge forms a guide for the side edge of the lever l to cause registration with the pins upon lowering of the lever.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the rail 3. on which the block 4 is mounted is hinged at i0 in the frame member l, the opposite end l0' of said rail being fastened to the frame in any suitable manner. The frame member i, has, in A'the preferred embodiment shown. mounted thereon two pairs of grooved guide rollers H, between which a film ls adapted to be guided, and will when the splicing block is thrown back on the hinge enable a guiding of 55 film over the concave mirror 2. in a position substantially approximating the focal plane of the mirror. The rollers, therefore, may be utilized when the device is used as a film editing device only. and also when it is employed as a 70 combined editing, shearing and splicing device.

Having described my invention. I claim:-

l. A nlm-splicing apparatus embodying in combination a combined shearing and splicing block having a horizontal top surface and double verti- 15 cally-disposed shearing edges, a pair of pivoted vertically-swinging shearing knives having edges cooperating with said double vertically-disposed shearing edges and adapted to swing below the said horizontal top surface, two pairs of perforation-engaging guide pins arranged between the said knives and spaced from each other on the said top horizontal surface of said block, to engage pairs oi lm holes on opposite sides of another pair of nlm periorations, and clamping means cooperating with said guide pins for engaging and keying nlm ends to support the same on said top surface of said combined splicing and shearing block. h

2. A film-splicing apparatus embodying in combination a combined shearing and splicing block having a horizontal top surface and doubie vertically-disposed shearing edges, a pair of pivoted vertically-swinging shearing knives having edges cooperating with said double vertically-disposed shearing edges and adapted to swing below the said horizontal top surface. two pairs of perforation-engaging guide pins arranged between the said knives and spaced from each other on the said top horizontal surface of said block, to engage pairs of nlm holes on opposite sides of another pair of fLlm perforatio'ns, and a clamping lever pivoted to swing horizontally on a vertical pivot, having in its bottom surface sockets adapt ed to engage over guide pins projecting from the upper surface of said splicing and shearing block to permit clamping of s. film end keyed on said pins and supported by said block.

3. A nlm-splicing apparatus embodying in combination a combined shearing and splicing lock having a horizontal top surface and double vertically-disposed shearing edges, a pair ot pivoted vertically-swinging shearing knives having edges cooperating with said double vertically-disposed shearing edges and adapted to swing below the said horizontal top surface. two pairs of perforation-engaging guide pins arranged between tile Silla Knives uuu. spaced iiuui each utiici un the said top horizontal surface of said block, to engage pairs of film holes on opposite sides of another pair of nlm perforations, and a clamping lever plvotefl to swing horizontally on a vertical pivot, having in its bottom surface two pairs of sockets adapted in different positions to engage over guide pins projecting from the upper surface of said splicing and shearing block to permit clamping of a ilm end keyed on said pins and supported by said block.

4. A lm editing and splicing apparatus embodying in combination a frame-member provided with a circular opening, a mirror having a concave reflecting-surface mounted insaid framemember in position to be viewed through said circular opening and guiding means at opposite sides of said opening and adapted to guide a motion-picture illm diametrically o ver said mirror at substantially the focal plane thereof. whereby magniiied images of pictures on the guided ilm may be viewed in said concave mirror.

5. A nim editing and splicing apparatus embodying. in combination. a frame-member provided with a circular opening, a mirror having a g5 concave reflecting surface mounted in said framemember in position to be viewed through said circu1ar ,opening, guiding means mounted on said frame member at opposite edges of said opening and adapted to guide a motion picture lm diametrically over said mirror at substantially the focal plane thereof and a. combined shearing and splicing block mounted in said frame member above said reflecting surface at substantially right angles to the path of said guided nlm said block having its upper surface substantially in theifocal plane of said mirror whereby said magnified images of pictures of lms to be sheared and spliced may be viewed in the mirror on opposite sides of said shearing and splicing block.

ARTHUR R. GUTH.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,022, 934. December 3, 1935.

ARTHUR R. GUTH.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification ol the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, first column, line 3S, claim 3, for "lock" read block; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and scaled this 14th day of January, A. D. 1936.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE 0l CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,022, 934. December 3, 1935.

ARTHUR R. GUTH.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, first column, line 35, claim 3, for "lock" read block; and that the said Lettera` Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and scaled this 14th day of January, A. D. 1936.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

